Zombie image shortlisted in the top 10 images as a Finalist in the Creativity and Digital Art genre for The Image of the Year 2015 with the Guild of Photographers

PRESS RELEASE

"Local Photographer Helen Walker achieves national acclaim!

Helen Walker, a photographer based in Otley has reached the Final of the fiercely contested Guild of Photographers Image of the Year Competition. The Guild is a highly respected UK based association for photographers which has members from overseas as well. Each year it runs an on-line monthly photographic competition with awards being given each month to the very best of the entries.

During the course of 2015, the competition attracted nearly 10,000 entries in 4 categories, and this week the Guild’s Judges have selected just 10 images in the various genres from the very best of the monthly entries, to go forward to the annual Final. Helen Walker ‘s image is one of those images!

Guild Director Lesley Thirsk said “One of the Guild’s aims is to drive standards and creativity amongst photographers. Our monthly competition certainly does that, for the standard of the entries we see each month is quite staggering. To have an image recognised by the Guild in the monthly competition is difficult enough, so to have an image selected as being one of the best 10 in a category for the end of year Final is a quite remarkable achievement, and shows just how talented a photographer Helen Walker is”

Helen said “To say I am surprised by this is a massive understatement. Knowing how high the standards are, and seeing the amazing images on the Guild month after month, I am quite simply gobsmacked - delighted and honoured to be have an image chosen for the final. It’s not often I’m speechless! The photograph was one taken as part of a charity calendar with my work colleagues and huge thanks go to all the people involved in helping me create this image – the ghoulish zombies Michael Broderick, Janet Barker, Kayleigh Craven and Sukhdip Jhaj, Bradley Walker for his shadow, the zombie make-up done by Chloe Gorton and the photographic assistance of Kevin Prime.”

Helen Walker’s image along with the others will now be printed ready for the Competition Final later in January, and the overall winner will be announced at a lavish Awards night in a magnificent Jacobean mansion in Cheshire on 6th February. To find out more about the Guild of Photographers visit their website (www.photoguild.co.uk)"

Highly Commended Awards from the National Photographic Society, November 2016

The Guild of Photographers' Image of the Year Winner 2016 - presented February 6th 2017

Awarded lifetime membership of The Bar of Photographers.

Becoming a member of the Photographer's Bar is a unique distinction awarded to those photographers who have had images assessed by the Guild via the Image of the Month competition over the course of a competition year, attaining a score the equivalent of a point for each entry made. In other words any member who can secure 24 points in one section of the Photography of the Year Title chases from 24 images in any 8 months of the same competition year will be awarded honorary life membership of the 'Photographer's Bar' in order to acknowledge the fact they have submitted strong images consistently throughout the year in competition judged in accordance with national scoring criteria - a distinction that is very difficult to achieve!! Membership of this exclusive club is clearly something to aim for…and achieving it also has great marketing potential for those in business.

Highly commended images - National Photographic Society, Dec/Jan 2017

A silver and 5 bronzes in Jan 2017, Image of the Month competition, Guild of Photographers

5 Highly Commended Image Awards, February 2017 with the National Photographic Society

5 Bronze Bar Awards in The Guild of Photographers' Image of the Month Competition Feb 2017